News — Kobe Bryant

Just like the entire basketball fraternity, NBA legend Michael Jordan is still struggling to come to terms with the death of his very good friend and brother, Kobe Bryant. The 41-year-old Los Angeles Lakers superstar alongside eight others including his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, passed away in a helicopter crash in Calabasas last year when they were headed to a youth basketball game.

Speaking to ESPN’s Jackie MacMullen, Jordan, 58, admitted he’s still grappling with grief to such an extent that he cannot even muster the strength to delete the final text messages he exchanged with Bryant, TMZ reported. The NBA Hall of Famer revealed their last conversation happened 49 days before the tragic January 26 helicopter crash. And Bryant had messaged him to tell him he loved a tequila bottle he had gifted him. They later spoke about their families and of course, basketball.

“This tequila is awesome,” Jordan recalled Kobe texted about his new tequila. The Chicago Bulls legend said he replied by texting, “Thank you, my brother.”

“Yes, sir. Family good?” Kobe asked.

“All good. Yours?” Jordan said he responded, with Bryant subsequently texting, “All good.”

Jordan added: “Happy holidays, and hope to catch up soon. Coach Kobe??!”

“Ah, back at you, man,” Jordan said Kobe texted. “Hey, coach, I’m sitting on the bench right now, and we’re blowing this team out. 45-8.”

Jordan said the message Kobe sent about his daughter Gianna’s team beating their opponents by a stretch was his favorite text. “I just love that text because it shows Kobe’s competitive nature,” he said, adding: “I don’t know why, but I just can’t delete it.”

Jordan delivered an emotional and teary eulogy during Bryant’s memorial service in February last year. The basketball legend will yet again take the podium on Saturday to present Kobe for his enshrinement into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Jordan, who was personally selected by Vanessa Bryant, said he’s honored to be inducting the deceased basketball legend and the event will be an emotional one, TMZ reported.

“It’s like standing up for a family member,” Jordan said. “He paid me the highest respect by trying to emulate certain things I did.”

“And I can only repay that by showing my support and admiration for a guy who I felt was one of the greatest to ever play the game.”

Natalia Bryant is officially an IMG model, the agency announced earlier this week. The 18-year-old, who is the eldest daughter of Kobe and Vanessa Bryant, will finally get to live out her childhood dreams of modeling and she could be hitting the runway soon.

The renowned modeling agency, which has the likes of Kate Moss, Naomi Osaka, Selena Gomez, Gisele Bündchen and Chrissy Teigen on its roster, posted on its Instagram account the news with a caption statement from Natalia.

She expressed her love for the industry and is eager to learn the ropes and pour her creativity into her new gig, WWD reported.

“I have always been interested in fashion since a very young age,” Natalia said in a statement released on the modeling agency’s Instagram account.

“I have a love for the industry, and ever since I can remember, I wanted to model. There is a lot to learn, but I feel this is a great opportunity for me to learn and express myself creatively.” 

Thrilled about the news, the new IMG signee also shared the post on her timeline, saying it was an honor to join the IMG family.

Her mother, Vanessa, like every mother would be, is also very proud of Natalia as she also reposted the Black and White photo of her daughter on her page, congratulating her.

Ciara, Lucy Hale, and other IMG models like Asley Graham and Gigi Hadid congratulated Natalia, welcoming her to the IMG family.

“We’re honored to partner with Natalia in shaping her career in fashion and beauty,” IMG senior vice president Maja Chiesi told WWD about the signing. “We look forward to connecting her with fresh, exciting opportunities that showcase her multifaceted personality and look.”

IMG is building up its model portfolio, with this announcement being the third of its recent signings. Vice President Kamala Harris’ stepdaughter Ella Emhoff, 21, and inaugural poet Amanda Gorman, 22, joined the family this year.

Gorman made history on January 20 when she became the youngest poet to recite an original poem at a presidential inauguration. She was also the sixth poet to perform at an inauguration following in the footsteps of other greats like Maya Angelou and Robert Frost.